[#permalink]
05 Sep 2004, 18:08
Good questions . . .
In no particular order
1) You are welcome to send me your shortlist of schools if you want another evaluatory perspective
2) I find Transcript Services of limited utility for education systems that send a large number of students to the US such as India (unless the MBA program makes them mandatory or the originals are not in English). I generally trust my own judgment of the credentials over those of the Transcrpt Service.
3) It is ethical to help the letter writers know what is "expected" of them regarding the letter. Most writers expect at least some form of brag sheet listing the points you wish to highlight. Of course, they should express their support of you in their own words. However, if they balk at saying meaningfully positive things about you, it would be a good idea to look elsewhere. Tepid letters of recc do not reflect well on the candidate.
4) Reasonable minds can differ on the utility of the editing services and the terms encompasses a wide variety of activities. "Complicance" editing is essential- you should be certain that your essay matches the question asked, the response is of the proper length and format, etc. Likewise, grammar/spelling/syntax editing is of great importance. While the cliche is painful it bears repeating- the key is to present your own ideas in your own words in the best light possible. Firms that essentially promise to write (or re-write) the essays for you make me extremely nervous. While not an exact science, it is often pretty easy to tell when somebody has been heavily coached or paid someone else to write the essay.
Hjort